About

Bradford Literature Festival was formed in 2014 to create a cultural and literary extravaganza celebrating the written and spoken word. The Festival curates an atmospheric blend of voices, combining the work of leading writers, performers and poets with emerging talent. In 2017 over 350 events took place across 10 days, capturing the hearts and imaginations of more than 50,000 people.

We are passionate about education; inspiring a love affair with words and boosting literacy is at the heart of all our public and schools’ events. The festival’s schools’ initiative, which runs alongside the general programme, holds free events for students throughout the Bradford District. In 2017 our events engaged and inspired more than 12,000 young people.

Bradford has long been a hub for literature, diversity and culture. The richness of its communities, drawn from so many different countries, is a key inspiration for the curation of events that bring guests from around the world to Bradford.

Events

Bradford Literature Festival offers a programme of events like no other, creating exceptional discussions and debates and inviting audiences to engage directly with world renowned authors and speakers to share thoughts and opinions in an open and neutral space. The festival explores the intimate relationship between words and other art forms such as film, theatre and music, drawing on the distinct historical and cultural offerings of Bradford to create a unique space in which to encourage a wider conversation.

BLF takes social inclusion seriously and offers free tickets to anyone who is on benefits, lives in social housing, is a refugee or asylum seeker as well as anyone caring for a disabled audience member.

Festival Hub

The hub of the festival can be found in Bradford’s beautiful, award winning City Park, featuring the spectacular Mirror Pool – the largest urban water feature in the UK. Every year City Park is transformed by the buzz of literary activity, with live performances, film screenings and fun, free events for all the family.